Verse of the Day 10/6

Verse of the Day 10/6

1 Peter 1:3-4Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,  English Standard Version (ESV)

Eighteen years ago today our two boys, Jeff and Jason along with two neighbors children were involved in a car accident which left Jeff with a traumatic brain injury and permanent (in this world) disabilities.  I had not intended to write about it today, but as I read today's verses and passage in my devotions, I couldn't help it.  The words that jumped out at me today were "to a living hope".

Jeff was in a coma for weeks.  He didn't speak for two years after his accident and we were told that he would never walk or talk again.  Thankfully, the doctors were wrong, and Jeff has said some of the most profound, encouraging and challenging things.  One of his statements is "hope is my favorite thing to have".  His is a living hope.  He doesn't worry about food, clothing or what he will be doing today or where he is going tomorrow.  He has peace, he has joy, he has hope and he has love.  When asked how he can have this peace in his situation he has said "I have the peace that passes understanding."   More of us, all of us should have such peace.

The other part of today's verses that I'll point to are the words "kept in heaven for you".  That statement brings me back to John 14:3 which mentions the mansion being prepared for us in heaven.  The chapter has the statement "Let not your heart be troubled" as bookends in verses 1 and 27, and in between are words of life.   It is something that we can hope for, with the hope that is the anchor of our souls (see Hebrews 6:19).

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true

[Chorus]

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope               (With Hope - Steven Curtis Chapman)

My hope my prayer for you today is that you have been born again to this living hope.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

1 Peter 1:3-9The Message (MSG)

A New Life

^3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.

^6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

^8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.